I felt a little uncomfortable under the weight of their stares, but the rest of my group was already mingling and introducing themselves. Even Niles was being social, but then I supposed he didn't have a choice if he wanted to be pack alpha.
While I hesitated, wondering whether I was being rude or if I needed to do the meet and greet too, Silas appeared at my side. "Not much of a people person, eh? Don't feel bad, I'm not either. I landed in this gig when I inherited the place from my aunt when she passed last year. Nobody will judge you, if you're worried. If you're just shy, I don't mind introducing you around."
Before I had a chance to answer, Kyle was right there reaching for my hand. "No worries, Silas. I reckon it's our job to not lose track of our mate. Niles and I are new at this whole mate business, but that just gives us something to work toward, don't you think?"
Silas merely shrugged. "I wouldn't know, not having found a mate myself just yet. Hey, if you guys want a guide to help you find your property, I can get someone to watch the shop while I show you where it is. It's only about a ten minute drive, give or take."
The two of them started talking, but I checked out when Silas started telling Kyle about the joys of hang gliding. Apparently, that was a popular activity around here, but I figured I'd had enough adventure in my life. At this point, I was ready to simply settle down and make a home.
Thankfully, we got on the road before much longer after agreeing to follow Silas and accepting a couple crates of groceries that he insisted on giving us as a welcoming gift.
I wasn't sure what to expect when we headed a little further up the mountain, but I fell in love the moment I saw our property. I was surprised by the amount of vegetation, especially by the fact that some of it was even green. I wasn't too shocked to see a few trees, but I was fascinated again by the fact that they weren't half dead. It appeared I had a lot to learn about the ecosystem of our new home.
While Dottie gushed about the view that showed us the towns of Jerome and Cottonwood in the distance, I was more interested in the house we'd be living in. It was a white, boxy structure that stuck out from the mountain. It was almost as if someone had plugged a hole in the hillside with an oversized, rectangular block. When we began our tour, I found out that was pretty much exactly what had happened.
8
Kyle
I was fascinated by the house itself. I couldn't believe it when Sandy explained how the builder had attached it to a natural cavern. The fact that the people who'd been here before had planted a huge garden that was filled with what appeared to be a wide variety of mature vegetables ready to be picked made me happy, but I reckoned I could check that out later. Right now, I needed to know more about this interesting home that Dottie was gifting us.
Sandy was on a roll, telling Niles all about ICF homes and why he'd chosen that particular model when consulting with the builders. Since I missed half of what he'd said while I'd been distracted by peering around the corner at the garden, I had to ask a few questions of my own. "Sorry to interrupt, Uncle Sandy. But what did you say ICF stood for again?"
"Insulated concrete form," Sandy answered without hesitation. His eyes were lit with excitement as he rubbed a palm over the wall beside a large picture window. "Not only do you get more structural integrity from the reinforced concrete wall, you'll find the insulation will keep the place cooler. With half of the insulation on each side of the thermal mass, the heat energy only gets halfway through because once it hits the concrete, a major part gets transferred through the footings into the ground."
I nodded solemnly as if I'd actually understood half of what he said. Niles shot me a wink. "All that was a fancy way of saying that our house will stay cool despite being in a desert climate. And if there's ever an earthquake, a house like this will stand stronger than a traditional home might."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enough of that for now, I want to see the inside." Dottie clutched my arm and reached for Niles with her other hand. Looking over her shoulder, she called out to Larry to make sure he didn't miss the big moment. "Come along, sweetheart. Let's go see your new home."
Sandy smiled as he passed the key ring to Larry who had stopped next to him. "Here, one of you should be the one to unlock it. Just so you know, this house has never been lived in. It was still being built while our previous manager was here. His trailer was parked where I plan to put the RV until Dottie and I can get an ICF structure of our own built."
"We'll see about that. These boys say they want us, but that doesn't mean they want us setting down permanent roots, so don't get ahead of yourself." Dottie huffed and muttered a few more choice words under her breath.
Niles was quick to intervene. "Actually, that's exactly what these boys would like. I believe I speak for all three of us when I say that our wish is for you and Sandy to stay here permanently."
"That's right," I agreed. "In fact, if there's a couple spare rooms inside, you can stay in the house with us."
Dottie quickly shot that down. "Oh, no. You are newly mated and need your privacy. Besides, haven't you ever heard that houseguests are like fish? They both stink after three days and I love you too much to be the one who stinks up your new home."
"I hate to say it, but the hag speaks the truth." Sandy threw a fond glance over his shoulder in Dottie’s direction as he spoke. "Don't worry about us, our RV is top-of-the-line and as you may have noticed, the air conditioning works quite well. Once we tap into your power supply, we'll be all set."
Larry got Sandy's attention. "What exactly is the power situation? I don't see any electrical lines, although I did notice there's a cell tower nearby."
Sandy puffed out his chest, smiling proudly. "One word—solar. When you get a chance to fully explore the property, you'll find the solar panels are hidden from view just above the rise of your cavern. And not only is there a well, they also tapped into an underwater stream. When you go to the lower level of the cavern, there's a small grotto where you can hear the water, according to the builder. He set up a small fountain so whoever ended up here could enjoy it. We had the water tested and it's as pure as it comes. And naturally cold too, from what they told me. Yep, this homestead is completely self-contained, as it should be."
I blinked. “I think I need to reevaluate what the word ‘homestead’ means, because I sure as hell was picturing something more along the lines of—”
“A small wooden farmhouse?” Niles finished for me. I grinned and nodded.
By the time Larry got the door unlocked, I was practically trembling with excitement. I fell a little more in love with every detail that emerged. As soon as we walked in, I pulled my arm away from Dottie and walked over to that picture window I’d noticed outside. There were heavy drapes drawn in front of it, which was a crime to my way of thinking.
Everyone gasped when I pulled the curtains open and revealed the view. Dottie clapped her hands. "I know this might be a natural greenhouse with the skylights, but I hope you make this into a living area so you can enjoy looking out on that valley. I know that's what I'd do."